Winning an Olympic medal is a feat that only an elite few have ever achieved from a pool of millions of athletes. But, even beyond that, lies an exclusive club that has only six members. Athletes who have won medals in both the Summer and Winter Olympics. And, Canadian icon Clara Hughes is one such towering figure in the world of sports.

Clara Hughes is one of only six people who have podium finishes in both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. The other 5 athletes who achieved this incredible feat are: Eddy Alvarez (United States), Lauryn Williams (United States), Christa Luding-Rothenburger (Germany), Jacob Tullin Thams (Norway), and Eddie Eagan (United States).

Hughes journey, however, was far from smooth. Alongside her athletic triumphs came a period of severe depression, a struggle she eventually brought into the open, using her voice to help others.

Clara Hughes remains an Olympic icon

Hughes began her Olympian chase as a cyclist. At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, she captured two bronze medals, in the women’s road race and the individual time trial, becoming the first Canadian woman to win an Olympic medal in road cycling. She then switched disciplines and competed in long-track speed skating. In Salt Lake City at the 2002 Winter Olympics, she earned a bronze in the 5,000m. Then, in Turin in 2006, she reached the top of the podium by winning gold in the 5,000m and silver in the team pursuit. The official Olympic social media handle took to Instagram on October 26 to celebrate the life and legacy of Hughes.

Finally, at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, she won another bronze in the 5,000m: Her sixth Olympic medal, tying Canada’s record at the time. That combination, multiple medallist in both Summer and Winter editions, places her among a very exclusive group (just six athletes worldwide) and makes her uniquely distinguished. Beyond her medals, Hughes carried the Canadian flag at the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Games, highlighting her stature in her country’s sporting landscape.

But her athletic triumphs were only one part of her life’s journey. But beyond that, a storm raged on inside her heart and mind.

Fighting inner demons and helping others

The medals tell only part of the story. Behind the scenes, Hughes confronted some of her toughest competition. Her own mental health. She has openly spoken about a prolonged battle with depression, one that began even during her elite athletic career. In an interview, she described how she first worked with sports psychologists but found that those supports weren’t enough. “It was a slow process that began with sports psychologists — available to me as an Olympic athlete — but they weren’t the right fit for me as a person,” she said. The 6x Olympic medalist then added, “I worked with medical doctors, healers and psychologists.”

In fact, she took a brief hiatus from her work to practice mindfulness and to connect with nature. The Canadian icon revealed, “I took three years off work from 2017 to 2020 to walk thousands of miles on the long trails in North America to move in nature, walk in silence, and connect with space, place, and self. It was a powerful experience that allowed for so much healing.”

Once she stepped into the public eye with that honesty, Hughes became a torch-bearer for mental-health advocacy. She became the founding spokesperson for Canada’s Bell Let’s Talk campaign, helping to bring mental health challenges out of the shadows and into open dialogue. She has also leveraged her athletic platform and the concept of movement and sport to illustrate how healing can proceed. Moreover, in her book, Open Heart, Open Mind, she candidly details this journey, from the podiums of the world to the more vulnerable spaces of self-awareness.

In choosing to share her story, Hughes has offered many people relief in knowing they aren’t alone.